A Vermont senator is buying radio stations in (and around) his district (You're right - he's a repuglicon)

[erronis]

https://vtdigger.org/2025/02/12/final-reading-a-vermont-senator-is-buying-radio-stations-in-and-around-his-district/

Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, has signed off on a roughly $1 million deal to buy seven stations in the Northeast Kingdom and northern New Hampshire.

Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, is ready for some airtime.

The Newport real estate broker and Senate Agriculture Committee chair has signed a deal to buy a group of seven radio stations in the Northeast Kingdom and northern New Hampshire. He’s purchasing the stations from Bruce James, a local radio personality who, according to Ingalls, launched the first of the seven stations more than three decades ago.

The buy puts Ingalls among the largest media owners in the region that he serves in the Statehouse. The senator is set to pay just shy of $1 million for the deal, he said.

...

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Next, try for vertical integration! Buy some newspapers, and a judge or two! /nt

[rsdsharp]

2. My radio career (such as it was) took place during the era of The Rule of Sevens.

No person or entity could own more than 7 AM, 7 FM and 7 TV stations (of which no more than 5 could be VHF) TOTAL — ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. And no one person or entity could own more than one of each in a given market. There were also rules against new ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers, although grandfather rules allowed existing exceptions.

The rules were relaxed somewhat later on, and virtually obliterated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

[erronis]

3. Winner (most money) take all!